


Cold Feet

by SloanGreyMercyDeath



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: <-- for y'all to search, Cuddling, F/F, Fluff, Tickling, but really? it's PURE FLUFF BABY, it's cute, pure fluff baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:28:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25592791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SloanGreyMercyDeath/pseuds/SloanGreyMercyDeath
Summary: It's Root + Shaw time, but Shaw is sleeping and Root has cold toes.
Relationships: Root/Shaw
Comments: 14
Kudos: 125





	Cold Feet

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BearTheMalinois](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BearTheMalinois/gifts).



Every now and then, between numbers and world-saving, Root and Shaw take some time for themselves. They hide away in the subway, when Harold and Reese are off doing something else, and just exist together. Root feels a little bit guilty about taking time away from the numbers and her greater mission, but she knows that Shaw enjoys the chance to slow down and recharge.

It was one of those nights and Root slipped past the open vending machine with a smile. She hurried down the stairs into the subway, shivering as she reached the platform. It was cold outside, but on the platform, it was freezing. She burrowed down into her puffy coat and rubbed her gloved hands together.

It seemed like the area was empty which was disappointing. Shaw's mission was supposed to be over by now. Maybe Shaw had found a warmer place to hunker down for the evening. Root hadn't looked at her phone for a while, but she was sure that She would tell her if she'd gotten a message.

Just in case, Root asked, "any word from Shaw?"

There was no message, so she wandered into the car and said hello to the wires. No sign of Shaw in there. She heard a soft woof and turned toward her bedroom. The curtains had been pulled shut, but Bear's face was peeking through, his ears upright and tongue hanging low.

Grinning, Root knew what Bear's presence meant. Shaw must be in the bedroom. Ready to be greeted by Sameen, naked and ready to go, Root hurried to the curtains and threw them open. Instead of any sort of sexual greeting, she was met with a sleeping Shaw, curled up under layers of blankets.

With the curtains opened, Root could hear Shaw's soft snore which had become familiar and endearing. She stood in the archway for a moment, just taking in the way Shaw's dark hair was splayed across her white pillowcase. Her eyebrows were drawn down and Root could see the way her eyes darted back and forth beneath her eyelids as she dreamed. Root hoped it was a good dream.

She sat on the floor as quietly as possible to take her shoes off. As she unlaced her snow boots, Bear walked in circles around her, smelling her coat and hair. He stuck his wet nose into her right ear, sneaking up on her and making her laugh. Shushing him, she tugged her boots off and set them beside her.

Her thick socks came off next and Bear immediately snatched one away, bouncing back into her room and laying on the floor. He chewed on it happily and Root made a mental note to buy more socks. The cold air on her feet made her shiver and she moved on to her coat so she could dive under the blankets.

Standing again, she ripped her gloves off and tossed them to the floor. They were followed by her coat, her sweater, and her beanie. She jumped forward into her room and yanked the curtains closed to keep in what little heat came from a small radiator in the corner. She skirted around Bear, who had sprawled out on her purple shag carpet.

Lifting the layers of blankets, Root slid into bed, gently nudging Shaw backward toward the wall. Groaning, Shaw shifted and made room for Root. She didn't seem to wake up and Root smiled fondly. Her mission had been difficult and draining; it made sense that she was out of it.

Still, it was a treat to see Shaw so vulnerable and Root snuggled close. She pulled the blankets up so only their heads were out. She took in the sight of Shaw sleeping from inches away. Trying to burn it into her memory, she ran her eyes over Shaw's face.

There was a slight wrinkle between her drawn eyebrows, making her look angry and focussed, even while she was unconscious. Her mouth hung slightly open, perfect lips parted. Her snore was louder this close and it made Root's smile grow into a grin. One day, she'd just take a picture, but for now, she reveled in this unguarded moment.

Root adjusted her legs, cramped on the tiny, twin bed. Her freezing toes brushed Shaw's bare feet and Shaw whimpered in her sleep. The noise was so surprising that Root automatically pressed her toes against Shaw again. This time, an eye fluttered open and Shaw frowned.

"Get your cold feet out of here," Shaw mumbled.

Root chuckled, wrapping her arms around Shaw. "No."

"Root," Shaw moaned, annoyed, "leave me alone."

Clearly, Shaw had forgotten that this was supposed to be their time and had decided it was better to spend the night off sleeping. Root wasn't going to let her waste time like that. She lifted the back of Shaw's sweatshirt and stuck her hands inside. Shaw squirmed, gasping, and tried to push Root out of the bed.

Holding on, Root kicked her feet, trying to stick her cold toes on Shaw. They grappled playfully for a moment. Well, Root was being careful. Shaw was really trying to kick her out of the bed. Shaw rolled them over, trapping Root against the wall, and dropped out of the bed. She landed in a heap of blankets, curling her legs up to her chest and hiding herself almost entirely in the layers she'd stolen.

She glared up at Root, her eyes barely visible above her warm, cloak. "Go fuck yourself."

"But, Sameen…" Root whined, bending down over the edge of the bed. She shivered in the rush of cold air that surrounded her. "I want you to fuck me."

Shaw's glare wavered, but she held strong. "No. Let me sleep."

Root sighed dramatically, watching as Bear stood up from where he was laying and walked over to Shaw. He sniffed the blankets before plopping down next to her. Shaw's eyes crinkled as she grinned triumphantly.

"See?" she asked Root. "Bear wants a nap, too."

Root rolled her eyes. "You can nap anytime. We've only got a couple of hours alone."

Shaw wiggled for a moment before sticking her full face out of the blankets. She seemed thoughtful and, with an overly-exaggerated groan, she lifted the blankets and nodded for Root to get in. "I'm napping, but you can hang out." 

Root practically dove off the bed into the warm pile of blankets. She wrapped her arms around Shaw again, tangling their legs together. With a pout, she met Shaw's eyes. "I was getting so cold!"

"If you want to stay in here," Shaw warned, "stop talking."

Root almost mimed zipping her lips shut, but realized that meant she'd have to take her arms away from Shaw. "You've got it, boss."

They settled into the blankets. Root was pretty sure she wasn't going to fall asleep, but she was content to be close to Shaw. They didn't always have to talk or have sex. It was ok to have quiet moments where they just enjoy each other's company. At least, that's what Root told herself.

"Tell your boss to make time soon," Shaw mumbled, already half-asleep again. "To make up for nap."

Root smiled at the sleepy way that Shaw spoke, but her heart was warmed by the thought. Maybe she was worried about wasting time because they had so little of it. The Machine had gotten the message, though, and they'd make time for Shaw. Of course they would.

Root woke sometime later, disoriented and groggy. She rolled onto her back and stretched her arms and legs. Her last conversation with Shaw came back to her and she remembered that they'd fallen asleep together on the floor.

Sitting up, she realized that she'd been moved onto the bed at some point and tucked into the blankets. Shaw wasn't with her. Just as panic began to rise in her throat, Shaw entered the room backward, using her shoulders to part the curtain because her hands were full.

Bear darted between her legs, almost tripping her, and Shaw cursed quietly. She glared down at him, shushing him loudly, and turned into the room. She was carrying two steaming mugs, a tea bag tag hanging down the side of one. Root's heart warmed at the sight of Shaw bringing her a cup of tea.

"Oh, you're awake." Shaw frowned at her, setting one mug down on the small table beside the lava lamp and offering Root the other. "Here."

Root smiled at the gruff greeting and took the hot mug of tea. "Thanks."

"Whatever," Shaw muttered. She dropped onto Root's chair and picked up her mug. After a delicate sip, she smirked at Root. "You slept for a while. So much for it being a waste of time."

Drinking, Root decided to let that slide. Apparently, she'd needed the rest, too. Besides, it wasn't often that Shaw brought her tea that was made exactly like Root liked it. She hummed happily.

"The, uh…" Shaw gestured to her ear. "Your boss told me how you liked it."

Root's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

Shaw shrugged and took another drink. "It's not a big deal. I asked."

"You wanted to make me a drink," Root teased, shaking her shoulders. "That's sweet."

Shaw rolled her eyes, putting her cup down. "Don't be weird about it." She stood and crossed the room. "Let me in."

Root handed her the mug, lifting the blanket as Shaw put it beside her own on the table. Shaw climbed into the bed and curled up against Root. Immediately, Root wrapped Shaw in her arms and tugged her close.

"Are the boys back yet?" Root asked.

Shaw nodded against Root's chest. "Yeah. I told them to leave us alone or I'd stab them."

"There you go again," Root sighed happily, "being sweet."

Shaw pretended to punch Root's stomach, her knuckles brushing harmlessly against Root's shirt. For effect, Root grunted softly and flopped backward on the bed, her tongue hanging from her mouth. Chuckling, Shaw climbed on top of her, hands pushing under Root's shirt.

Her skin was freezing and Root yelped helplessly. "You're so cold!"

Shaw gave her a teasing glare and started tickling her with freezing fingers. "Revenge!"

As much as Root squirmed, she couldn't get free of Shaw's expert tickling. She wiggled side to side, pushing and pulling on Shaw's shoulders, loud laughter bubbling out of her. Shaw just grinned down maniacally, unfazed by Root's movements. After a while, she slowed her hands and dropped to bed, throwing an arm over Root's stomach.

"Have you learned your lesson?"

Root nodded, breathless. "Yup. No more cold toes."

Shaw didn't look convinced, but she settled into the bed beside Root and closed her eyes. "You interrupted my nap, so I'm going to need another."

Opening her mouth to protest, Root decided against it. "Ok, Sameen."

She closed her eyes, too, rolling onto her side. Shaw molded against her back, her arm holding Root close. Part of Root felt like they were still wasting time and they should use this brief reprieve to talk about something important or have sex or even do a mission on their own.

When Shaw's forehead pressed between her shoulder blades, Root could see why this was nice, too. She rarely stopped moving, always doing work or making plans, but Shaw's warmth behind her made her feel grounded and steady. Maybe it was ok to stay still sometimes, if she had the right company. She made a note to ask The Machine to make more time for them, put them on the same missions so they could end the day together. She took a deep breath and let herself fall asleep in Shaw's arms.


End file.
